REPORT: Tri-Conference in Missoula, Montana

Hello, NDLA-ers! In August, I was fortunate to go to Missoula, Montana for the Mountain Plains Library Association, Montana Library Association, and Northwest Pacific Library Association Tri-conference.

We convened in the heart of downtown Missoula on August 3, 2022. First up was the MPLA board meeting. It was so nice to meet with the state representatives again. We were able to hear several ideas from the Membership Committee, which we hope to have in place next year. It was also encouraging to hear about the Leadership Institute, which will be happening May 7-12, 2023 at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO. Also, the Past Presidential Advisory Council was reinstated.

I went to a lot of sessions. Those of note included information on outreach and working with your community. It seemed like the presenter had a very good relationship with her community, and she stressed that she always says “yes” when asked to participate. She also has a strong relationship with her local Chamber of Commerce, which in turn helps her get donations for her library. Another session I found interesting was about the Science of Reading and how it affects those of us in the library world. The presenter talked about how reading programs are on a pendulum, and always go back and forth between phonics and whole word reading. I would suggest diving into the Science of Reading if you are in the Children’s Department, as it is in some North Dakota schools already.

The next MPLA conference will be in conjunction with the Oklahoma Library Association in Norman, OK from March 8-10, 2023!